Nature of Local Health Departments Partnerships With Hospitals for Community Health Needs Assessment and Other Mutual Needs

Introduction: Healthcare and public health industries have history of working in siloes, but those silos are beginning to give way to collaborations, due to community health needs assessment (CHNA) conducted by hospitals requiring hospitals to use perspectives of a broad range of community stakeholders.

Purpose: The purpose of this research included assessment of the level of collaboration between Local Health Departments (LHDs) and non-profit hospitals for hospitals’ recent CHNA and impact of such collaboration on LHD best practices (accreditation, community health assessment etc.).

Methods: Chi-square and descriptive analysis were performed using data from the 2016 Profile of LHDs Survey, administered to all 2,533 LHDs and completed by 1930.

Results: LHD partnerships arrangements with hospitals included sharing personnel/resources (15.6%), having written agreements (25.0%) regularly scheduling meetings (47.5%), and exchanging information (70.4%). Over 75% of all LHDs had one or more non-profit hospitals in their jurisdiction. Of these LHDs with at least one non-profit hospital in their jurisdiction, 76% collaborated with one or more non-profit hospitals on the most recent CHNA. The most frequent roles played by LHD s in CHNA completed by hospitals included: (a) sharing local data resources regarding health status –performed by 61.7% (b) providing input on strategies to improve community health (60.4%), and (c) conducted joint assessment with non-profit hospital. LHD partnerships with non-profit hospitals on CHNA conducted by hospitals was positively and significantly (p<0.001) associated with LHDs’ accreditation engagement, and completion of community health assessment, community health improvement planning, and strategic planning.

Implications: LHDs-hospital partnerships on CHNA can be mutually beneficial. In their collaborative role, LHDs can assist hospitals to align community benefit-expenditures with the communities’ health needs.